State & Regional | The Daily Chronicle

Gov. Bob Ferguson speaks to reporters about the budget on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)

As Ferguson details budget concerns, Washington legislators see mixed signals

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has let House and Senate lawmakers know some of the concerns he has with the spending plans they’ve crafted. A nine-page letter penned by his budget director … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 4/9/25

Cherry blossoms are in full bloom at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia on Wednesday, April 2.

Slew of controversial bills move ahead in Washington state Legislature

Several contentious pieces of legislation – all of which have already been approved by the House of Representatives – got another step closer to becoming law in Washington state, moving … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 4/8/25

Critics warn Washington state bill could raise gas prices by 40 cents by 2031

The Senate Ways & Means Committee voted to advance a bill revising Washington state’s Clean Fuel Standard law amid concerns among critics who warn that the expedited schedule could jack up … more

By TJ Martinell / The Center Square | 4/8/25

Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, said House Bill 1215 intends "to frankly remove the historically patriarchal clauses in our statute."

Washington state Legislature passes bill allowing pregnant women to die on their own terms

Expecting but on the brink of death? State law says you don’t get a say in what happens, but not for long. Senate Democrats passed a bill Monday that removes any reference to pregnancy in … more

Tim Clouser / The Center Square | 4/8/25

The shadow of a hand casts onto a skunk cabbage near Rainbow Falls State Park off state Route 6.

Washington state lawmakers advance bill raising cost of Discover Pass by 50%

Washington state lawmakers advanced a bill Thursday that would raise the annual cost of a Discover Pass for the first time in 14 years. The current yearly cost for the pass that grants unlimited … more

Simone Carter / The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/8/25

Two local boys examine a pile of twisted metal gathered by workers during the continuing recovery efforts at the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 on March 11, 2019, in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images/TNS)

Boeing reaches settlement with two families of Ethiopian crash victims

Boeing reached a last-minute settlement with families of two people killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash, marking another series of cases that concluded before heading to trial and bringing … more

Paige Cornwell and Lauren Rosenblatt / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/8/25

CEO Blake Resnick holds a Lemur drone at Brinc in Seattle on May 11, 2022.

Washington state drone makers sanctioned as China hits back after Trump tariffs

China placed two drone manufacturers with Seattle ties on its “unreliable entity” list, subjecting them to trade sanctions and export controls. Seattle-based Brinc Drones, which … more

Alex Halverson / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/8/25

A bald eagle flies through the air near Adna High School on March 14.

Washington tribal member accused of shooting bald eagles in February makes federal court appearance

A Lummi Nation man was scheduled to appear in federal court in Seattle on Monday afternoon on charges related to the alleged shooting of two bald eagles on the Lummi Reservation in February. … more

Hannah Edelman / The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/8/25

Two teens shot to death at house party in Pierce County identified

The two teens killed during a mass shooting in a Pierce County neighborhood two weeks ago have been identified, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office. Hector Gonzalez … more

Puneet Bsanti / The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/8/25

Lawsuit dismissed in Thurston County police killing of activist wanted for Portland homicide

A federal judge has dismissed a civil-rights and wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Michael Reinoehl, a self-proclaimed anti-fascist activist and a homicide suspect who was killed by … more

Mike Carter / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/8/25

Study of trail reports to help track uptick in ticks in Washington state

Tick sightings are on the rise in Western Washington, according to research conducted by a University of Washington master’s degree student. Thanks to that same student, there’s now … more

Ty Vinson / The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/8/25

Republican Washington congressman, in bipartisan letter, asks Trump to continue protections for Ukrainian refugees

WASHINGTON — Rep. Michael Baumgartner on Monday asked President Donald Trump to preserve protections for the estimated 240,000 Ukrainians who have fled the Russian invasion of their country to … more

Orion Donovan Smith / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 4/8/25

WIAA will not change policy on transgender student athletes

Transgender female athletes will continue to play on girls teams in Washington school sports despite some school boards' efforts to switch them to boys teams or create a league of their own. The … more

Elena Perry / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 4/8/25

Washington state Senate unanimously passes $7.3B capital budget

In a show of bipartisanship in Olympia, the Washington Senate has unanimously passed a $7.3 billion capital budget for 2025-27 that focuses on projects across the state. The House of … more

Brett Davis / The Center Square | 4/8/25

Washington state bill to cap rent increases passes out of Senate Ways & Means Committee

Controversial legislation to cap rental increases cleared another hurdle Monday in the Washington State Legislature, moving out of executive session in the Senate Ways & Means Committee with a … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 4/8/25

Dementia care facilities would have to meet new state standards under Washington state bill

Washington lawmakers are looking at requiring assisted living facilities to be certified to take care of people with dementia. Senate Bill 5337 , sponsored by Sen. Tina Orwall, D-Des … more

By Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero / The Washington State Standard | 4/8/25

Crews work on the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River in 2019. (Oregon Department of Transportation)

Inflation worries drive Washington state lawmakers to jack up I-5 bridge borrowing plan by $900M

Washington state lawmakers on Monday backed a huge increase in the amount of toll revenues they’ll count on to help pay for construction of a replacement bridge on Interstate 5 across the … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 4/8/25

This large bull elk, pictured in Packwood in 2023, has shed his velvet and is nearing the rut, when bulls become more aggressive as they search for “cows,” female all, to mate with.

Proposed fee hike may push hunting, fishing out of reach for some Washington state families

With less than three weeks left to fill a $16 billion shortfall, House Democrats advanced a bill on Saturday to increase the price of hunting and fishing licenses for the first time in over a decade. … more

Tim Clouser / The Center Square | 4/7/25

A gray wolf. (Gary Kramer/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Washington state’s wolf count declines for first time in 16 years

Washington’s wolf population is down for the first time since resident packs were confirmed to be returning to the state about 16 years ago, new figures show. The state and tribes counted … more

By Bill Lucia / The Washington State Standard | 4/7/25

Gov. Bob Ferguson signs a bill on Friday, April 4, 2025. On Monday, he signed more legislation into law, including a bill to prohibit the sale of sodium nitrite. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)

Washington state restricts lethal chemical previously sold on Amazon

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. When a package from Amazon arrived at her Clark County home in November 2020, … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 4/7/25